Parlor-type football board game and associated apparatus

ABSTRACT

The application discloses a parlor-type football board game with a simulated field and a simulated football positionable in three selected locations across the field and longitudinally thereof in accordance with the throw of a spring-operated indicator relative to yards gained and lost markings represented on a preselected play card. Diagrams on the card afford a visual indication of the play that the player believes is most appropriate in accordance with his judgment and knowledge of football strategy. The card also functions on insertion adjacent the indicator to operate a minute and second timer varying according to the time which the selected play would normally require. A time out mechanism is arranged to disable the timer as provided by the rules of play.

[ 1 Apr. 3, 1973 United States Patent [191 Payne, Jr.

[54] PARLOR-TYPE FOOTBALL BOARD 793,157 8/1968 Canada...............................273/94 R GAME AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS v OTHER PUBLICATIONS [75] Inventor:

. Playthings Magazine, March 1970, p. 145.

Calvin L. Payne, Jr., Hastings-on- Hudson, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Tudor Metal Products Corporation,

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Nov. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 87,804

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro AttorneyBorst & Borst [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT The application discloses a parlor-type football board game with asimulated field and a simulated football positionable in three selected locations across the field [52] US. Cl. R, 273/138 R .A63f 7/06 .273/94 R, 138

[51] Int.

[ 1 Field of and longitudinally thereof in accordance with the [56] throw of a spring-operated indicator relative to yards References Cited gained and lost markings represented on a preselected play card. Diagrams on the card afford a visual indica- UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1930 Willeke.

tion of the play that the player believesis most appropriate in accordance with his judgment and ...273 94 R 273/94 R x knowledge of football strategy. The card also func- ....273/94 R ..273/138 R ..273/119 R IONS 1/1970 Board 9/1968 1,274,135 7/1918 Brooks... 3,578,329

5/1971 Biedny...

FOREIGN PATENTS OR 23,019 4/1896 Great A time out mechanism is arranged to disable the timer as provided by the rules of play.

APPLICAT .2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 446,390 6/1927 Germany ...............,..........273/l38 R PATENTED PRB I 7 3 724 852 SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVENTOR.

Cal (2622 Z. Pal lze fzr @WJ S QMJF ATTORNEYS PARLOR-TYPE FOOTBALL BOARD GAME AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUS The invention relates to parlor-type board games and, in particular to football board games which are played by employing a combination of chance and strategy. g

The board game is composed of three principal sections one being a simulated football field with a movable marker indicating the position of the ball thereon and the usual ten yard marker, the second section being the score board which give indications of the score, the quarter, the down, time out remaining and a timer operated semi-automatically in a unique manner, the third section being the play selector and yards gained indicator which functions in conjunction with the timer. The indicator is distinctively designed so as to assure a random and unpredictable throw of its marker the position of which is relative to the play selection card yields the yards gained or lost information.

One embodiment of the invention is described in detail herebelow in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football game made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the right end of FIG. 1 with the cover off;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on a slightly enlarged scale of the movable football marker and taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, partially in elevation, and

' supported on inner walls 16 of base 10, FIG. 3. An access opening in cover 12 for this section A is defined by a peripheral lip 18 and slidably supports a ten yard ribs 34. The football 30 is positioned on raised portion 26 in any one of the three detent positions of the ball laterally of the field at the start of play.

As seen in FIG. 2, on both sides of raised portion 26, on marker 22 and in line with the detent sockets 28 are colored triangular spots 36 to set the lateral position of football 30 determined by the card in play. A center line 38 on marker 22 is provided to properly set the marker over the yardage lines on field 14. The marker 22 with the football thereon moves longitudinally of the field 14 and represents the yardage line at which play is begun.

For the second section B an access opening in cover 12 is defined by a lip 40. As seen best in FIG. 1 a scoring panel 42 having windows 44 and holes 46 forming the upper bearings for the knob assemblies 48. Knob assemblies 48 are journaled at their lower ends in bearings 50, FIG. 5, in base 10. Intermediate of bearings 46 and 50 the knob assembly has an integral dial disc 52, FIG. 2, having numbers thereon and seen through windows 44 showing the visitor and home team scores. Thus the scoring panel 42 is supported and held by the cover 12.

Quarters and downs are shown through windows 54 and 56 on dials turned by knob assemblies 58 and 60 respectively which are similar .to knob assemblies 48.

Knob assemblies 62 and 64 are the same as knob assembly 48 except for the dial disc 52. Instead, pointers 66 and 68 are formed at the top of the knob assembly and indicate time outs remaining for the opposing teams.

Minutes and seconds to play are read through windows 70 and 72. Minutes are shown on the face of gear 74 and is rotatable only in one direction, counterclockwise, because of pawl 76, FIGS. 2 and 7.

The seconds wheel 78 has its dial disc formed with ratchet teeth 80, FIG. 2, and engaged by time out set pawl knob 82. As seen best in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 integral with knob assembly 78 and below .its dial disc is a pinion 84 in engagement with the minute gear wheel 74. Thus as the second wheel 78 is manually turned in a clockwise direction the meshing of pinion 84-and gear 74 will show the proper relation of time in play.

The second wheel 78 may be locked for time out by the time out set pawl 82. When pawl knob 82 is turned in the. direction of the arrow, see FIG. 1, the pawl will engage one of the teeth on second wheel 78 to prevent further turning as shown in full lines in FIG. 2.

As clearly seen in FIG. 7, afi'lxed to the second wheel 78 is a timer band 86, preferably of rubber, which is engaged by the edge of a play card. Upon insertion of a play card in section C the left edge of the card rides over the timer band 86'and not rotating the second wheel by virtue of pin-ion 84 engaging gear 74 which is held stationary by pawl 76.

However, when the play card is withdrawn, the second wheel 78 through pinion 84 turns gear wheel 74 and thus advances the clock automatically. To switch off clock for time out, the time out set pawl 82 isturned counterclockwise to engage a tooth 80 on second wheel 78 to stop rotation as the play card is withdrawn, see FIG. 2. v

Section C is the yards gained and lost unit. Strategy program comprise two cards made up of an offensive card 90 and a defensive card 92. The defensive-card 92 is placed over the offensive card 90 and both inserted in play card slot 94 between the cover 12 and base 10 and retained therein by transparent cover 96. The yards gained and lost are read through windows 98 in defensive card 92.

The left edge of the combined cards 90 and 92 engage in intimate contact the timer band 80. The right edge is engaged by a leaf spring 100 urging the cards 90 and 92 against the timer band 80 for operation thereof on linear movement in the slot 94. The length of this edge is preselected in accordance with the amount of rotary movement that is desired for the timer band 80 and, as a consequence, the timer duration that would be expected for the play selected. In FIG. 7 this length is shown terminating at 102.

Selection of one of the windows 98 through which the yards gained or lost data are seen is made by probability selector 104 which is believed to be of unique and distinctive design. It is composed of rod 106 retained within two sockets 108 and 110 in a slot 112 formed in the base 10. Compression springs 114 and 116 at each end of rod 106 are retained in and impinge on the bottom of sockets 108 and 1 10.

Selector ball 118 and a throw device including random factor beads 120 and 122 are slidably mounted on the rod 106 of the probability selector 104. Depending on the placement of the beads and the degree of compression exerted by the selector ball 1 18 on one or both of springs 114 and 116 the ball 118 will stop at some point on rod 106 which is impossible to predict in advance. As the ball 118 is initially impelled by one of the springs, the amount of impact it will have on the rebound spring and the beads will depend on their random placement on the rod 6. The degree of such impact will determine the location on the rod where the ball 118 will eventually come to rest. The provision of the beads will therefore add a variable factor in such determination.

the play card which can be employed to indicate lateral I placement over the simulated football field 14.

In operation,-the selector ball 118 is pulled down I Various modifications of the invention may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A parlor-type board game comprising a simulated play field, a slide arm mounted over the field and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, a point of play 'marker supported on said arm, said arm providing a plurality of marker retaining elements for positioning said marker transversely of the simulated field, and an indicator for random and chance selection of data pertinentto placement of the marker relative to said simulated field, said indicator being provided with a track for guiding the insertion of a play diagram card, a wheel having time indications thereon, a rotatable band in gear connection with said wheel disposed adjacent said track and'adapted to be driven by contact with said diagram card whereby movement of said card in the track causes the timer wheel to be turned by said rotatable band.

2. A board game as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a wire member extending between two holders, a compression spring mounted on each end of said wire member, a ball marker slidably mounted on the wire between said compression 5 rings, and a throw device also slidably mounted on e wire on each side of the ball marker, said card having a plurality of play information sets adjacent said wire, the selected set being indicated by the position of the ball marker relative to said card on impulsion by one of said springs after impact with at least one of said throw device s. 

1. A parlor-type board game comprising a simulated play field, a slide arm mounted over the field and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, a point of play marker supported on said arm, said arm providing a plurality of marker retaining elements for positioning said marker transversely of the simulated field, and an indicator for random and chance selection of data pertinent to placement of the marker relative to said simulated field, said indicator being provided with a track for guiding the insertion of a play diagram card, a wheel having time indications thereon, a rotatable band in gear connection with said wheel disposed adjacent said track and adapted to be driven by contact with said diagram card whereby movement of said card in the track causes the timer wheel to be turned by said rotatable band.
 2. A board game as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a wire member extending between two holders, a compression spring mounted on each end of said wire member, a ball marker slidably mounted on the wire between said compression springs, and a throw device also slidably mounted on the wire on each side of the ball marker, said card having a plurality of play information sets adjacent said wire, the selected set being indicated by the position of the ball marker relative to said card on impulsion by one of said springs after impact with at least one of said throw devices. 